The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) meets for its 65th session from 13 to 17 May 2013, at IMO Headquarters in London.   Items on the busy agenda include the implementation of energy-efficiency regulations and the ballast water management and ship-recycling treaties.

Further guidelines on energy-efficiency measures for ships to be considered
The MEPC is expected to continue its work on further developing technical and operational measures relating to energy-efficiency measures for ships, following the entry into force, on   January 2013, of the new chapter 4 of MARPOL Annex VI, which includes requirements mandating the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI), for new ships, and the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP), for all ships.   

The Committee will review draft guidance developed by a correspondence group, including:   • draft guidelines for determining minimum propulsion power to maintain the manoeuvrability of ships in adverse conditions;
• draft guidance on treatment of innovative energy-efficiency technologies for calculation and verification of the attained EEDI; and
• draft guidelines for the calculation of the coefficient fw for decrease in ship speed in a representative sea condition.
 
Resolution on technical cooperation for energy efficiency measures to be discussed

The MEPC is expected to further consider the draft MEPC Resolution on “Promotion of Technical Co-operation and Transfer of Technology relating to the Improvement of Energy Efficiency of Ships”, with a view to its adoption. 

Update of GHG emissions estimate expected to get go-ahead

The MEPC is expected to agree on the development of study for an updated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions’ estimate for international shipping, following discussion in an expert workshop, which met earlier this year, on the methodology and assumptions to be used.   The new study would focus on updating key figures in the current (second) IMO GHG Study (2009), which estimated that international shipping emitted 870 million tonnes, or about 2.7%, of the global man-made emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) in 2007.   The MEPC is also expected to consider the methodology and criteria for a comprehensive impact assessment of proposed market-based measures to reduce GHG emissions, which would complement the technical and operational measures already adopted. 

Draft NOx Technical Code amendments to be considered

The MEPC is expected to consider, for approval with a view to subsequent adoption, draft amendments to the NOx Technical Code, 2008, concerning use of dual-fuel engines.   Guidelines for implementation of MARPOL Annex VI regulation 13 (nitrogen oxides) to be considered

The MEPC will consider draft guidelines, as required by regulation 13.2.2 of MARPOL Annex VI, in respect of non-identical replacement engines not required to meet the Tier III limit; and a draft unified interpretation on the “time of the replacement or addition” of an engine for the applicable NOx Tier standard for the supplement to the IAPP Certificate.   The final report of the Correspondence Group on the Review of the Status of the Technological Developments to Implement the Tier III NOx Emissions Standard will be considered by the Committee.   Ballast water management systems up for approval

The MEPC will consider the reports of the twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth meetings of the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environment Protection (GESAMP) Ballast Water Working Group (held during 2012-2013), with a view to granting Basic Approval to three, and Final Approval to four, ballast water management systems that make use of Active Substances.   The MEPC will consider the text of a draft IMO Assembly resolution on the application of regulation B-3 of the BWM Convention to ease and facilitate the smooth implementation of the Convention, for submission to the IMO Assembly 28th session (25 November to 5 December 2013).   The MEPC will also be invited to approve BWM-related guidance, among which is the Guidance concerning ballast water sampling and analysis for trial use.   The MEPC is also expected to adopt a draft revised MEPC resolution regarding information reporting on type-approved ballast water management systems.

MARPOL amendments to make RO Code mandatory to be adopted
The MEPC is expected to adopt draft amendments to MARPOL Annexes I and II to make mandatory the Code for Recognized Organizations (ROs). The Code will provide a consolidated text containing criteria against which ROs (which may be authorized by flag States to carry out surveys and issue certificates on their behalf) are assessed and authorized/recognized, and give guidance for subsequent monitoring of ROs by Administrations.   Also up for adoption are draft amendments to Form A and Form B of Supplements to the IOPP Certificate; and amendments to the Condition Assessment Scheme, to make reference to the International Code on the enhanced programme of inspections during surveys of bulk carriers and oil tankers, 2011 (2011 ESP Code).

Recycling of ships – hazardous materials inventory to be reviewed
The MEPC is expected to further discuss the development of threshold values and exemptions applicable to the materials to be listed in inventories of hazardous materials taking into account the outcome of a correspondence group, and to consider the need to amend, accordingly, the 2011 Guidelines for the development of the inventory of hazardous materials, required under the treaty.   Guidance on evaluating biofouling guidelines to be approved.

The MEPC is expected to approve a draft MEPC circular on Guidance for evaluating the 2011 Guidelines for the control and management of ships' biofouling to minimize the transfer of invasive aquatic species.      ___

IMO – the International Maritime Organization – is the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships.

Web site: www.imo.org

After a year’s delay, the United Nations body tasked with developing polar shipping regulations has recommended provisions to address the environmental impacts of Arctic shipping – but they don’t go far enough, says conservation organization WWF.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) met last week to shape the Polar Code, a legally binding set of rules for shipping in polar regions. Although the final Polar Code won’t be adopted this year, recommendations made now will strongly influence the environmental provisions of the final Code.

“The provisions proposed on environmental protection issues are simply too weak”, says Lars Erik Mangset, Advisor for WWF-Norway. “Major risks, like acute pollution from heavy fuel oil, are not even addressed. And although the Polar Code is legally binding, many of the most pressing issues have been placed in the voluntary section of the code or deferred to later discussions, potentially outside the Code.”

Rapid warming in the Arctic has led to the opening up of commercial sea routes in the region.  While destination ship traffic in and out of the Arctic is expected the greatest traffic increase the next decades, transport over the Northern Sea Route (above Russia and Scandinavia) has seen substantial growth over the past few years and is in particular being targeted as a route for tanker and bulk traffic.  Increased traffic in these waters, coupled with the fact that the Arctic is up to 95% unsurveyed and chart coverage is generally inadequate for coastal navigation, means that the risks of operating should be matched with suitable precautionary measures in order to protect the environment. For example, banning the use and carriage of heavy fuel oil in sensitive areas would reduce the environmental impacts of a spill significantly.

“Arctic shipping will expand massively in the next few decades. The recommendations are disappointing, but they are not yet set in stone. Arctic countries have an opportunity now to advocate world-class environmental protection measures, which this region needs and deserves”, says Dr. Simon Walmsley, Marine Manager for WWF-International.

Solid international and domestic legislation, respectively in the Antarctic and in Canada, sets a good precedent. Canada already in place close to zero-tolerance limit on oil and oily discharge and other waste streams from ships, and has advocated for similar provisions in the Polar Code. This is a positive precedence for other Arctic states to follow.

WWF is calling on IMO member states to commit to meaningful environmental protection in the Polar Code, through a ban on heavy fuel oil in the Arctic, as well as heightened restrictions on operational discharges, carbon emissions and the spread of alien species in ballast water.

Maersk Line, the world’s largest container shipping company, has reached its 2020 target of reducing CO2 emissions by 25% from its benchmark 2007 levels. “We are proud to hit this mark 8 years ahead of schedule. It is confirmation we’re on the right track. And to keep that momentum we’re raising the target to a 40% reduction in CO2 by 2020,” says Morten Engelstoft, Chief Operating Officer, Maersk Line.

“Maersk Line’s focus on energy efficiency has made the company significantly more cost competitive. And by cutting our CO2 we’ve also lowered the CO2 emissions of our customers, thereby helping them meet their own CO2 targets,” says Engelstoft.
Benchmarking data makes it possible for all customers to compare their shipping suppliers based on CO2 performance. Maersk Line experts help customers implement such benchmarking schemes to make CO2 part of the buying decision.

“We see an increased environmental awareness among our customers, so when we improve our environmental performance, we also improve our customer relationships,” Engelstoft says.

It is estimated that shipping carries 90% of globally traded goods. While shipping is by far the most energy efficient way to transport cargo long distances, the contribution of CO2 to the atmosphere is 3-4% of the global annual total.

“Maersk Line is an advocate for global regulation of CO2 for shipping. Cutting CO2 is a benefit for our business, not a threat to it,” says Engelstoft.

“We reached this target largely from a combination of operational efficiency, network and voyage optimisation, slow steaming and technical innovation. We will hit the 40% target with more of the same,” he says.

“Other important factors will be the continued cooperation with our vessel leasing partners to retrofit their ships, and the arrival this year and next of the Triple-E vessels, which will be the largest and most energy efficient ships on the water.”

Additional information
Maersk Line’s CO2 target is an efficiency target. The CO2 emissions of Maersk Line are measured in accordance with the methodology developed by the Clean Cargo Working Group (grams of CO2 per container carried 1 kilometre). The data is independently verified by Lloyd’s Register.

Source: Maersk Line

Maersk Line, headquartered in Denmark, is the largest shipping company in the world with a global market share of 15%. Maersk Line employs 25,000 people with 325 offices in 125 countries around the world and operates a fleet of more than 600 ships which sail every major trade lane on the globe, and make about 35,000 port calls every year.

Maersk Line also presents good environmental data, including the impacts on its customers' supply chains. For example, Maersk reports that 169 key customers saved over 748,000 tons of carbon emissions by shipping with Maersk versus the industry average. In fact, overall, this report is one of the most fascinating reports I have read this year. It's immensely readable, with each section providing context, case studies and highly informative content. Maersk covers issues ranging from energy efficiency to illegal trade, from biodiversity to the floorboards in containers and from waste handling to exhaust gases from ships.

You can also view Maersk Line's Sustainability Progress Report 2011

Source:  CSR Reporting Blog

INTERTANKO participated in the 18th Session of the IMO Working Group on the Evaluation of Safety and Pollution Hazards (ESPH 18) this week, represented by INTERTANKO's Senior Manager, Vetting & Chemical, Ajay Gour.

The meeting was chaired by David MacRae of the UK and was attended by delegations from 18 countries (Argentina, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, Liberia, Marshall Islands, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States) and eight non-governmental organisations (International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (INTERTANKO), Dangerous Goods Advisory Council (DGAC), International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH), International Parcel Tankers Assoc (IPTA), European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC), Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF)).

Agenda items discussed included:

The evaluation of new products and new cleaning additives


ESPH evaluated and approved seven new products for inclusion in List 1 (All Countries, No Expiry date) of the MEPC.2/Circ. Some of these products were approved with minor corrections to their submissions.

The Group also considered 25 cleaning additives which had been presented for evaluation. All 25 cleaning additives met the criteria outlined in MEPC.1/Circ.590 and these chemicals can be used as of now.

The Group was also informed that the trade names of two existing cleaning chemicals had changed and this change will be reflected in the list when it is published in December.

Review of MEPC.2/Circular - Provisional classification of liquid substances transported in bulk and other related matters

New Mixtures for entry into List 3 of the MEPC.2/Circ were reviewed by ESPH. As this review was of confidential Mixture information, it was conducted only by member states.  Non-governmental attendees were asked to leave the meeting during this review.

Review of MEPC.2/Circ.17 on the Provisional Classification of Liquid Substances Transported in Bulk - list of proposed changes to MEPC.2/Circ.17


ESPH undertook a review of a draft version of MEPC.2/Circ.18 which is scheduled to be published on 17 December 2012.

List 1

MEPC.2/Circ.18 List 1 will include some additional updated information column "i" (Electrical Data) that was missing on the previous review of this data.  These products will just have columns i', i'', i''' shaded in grey to indicate those changes.

Finland submitted paper ESPH 18/4/8 requesting the addition of 3 products to Annex 11 of the MEPC.2/Circ. which is the Bio-Fuel list and to add 3 bio-fuel blends to List 1 of the MEPC.2/Circ.

During discussions of this paper, Finland mentioned these were needed to be able to blend these products with petroleum at less than 25% to carry the blend as Annex I.

ESPH agreed to add the bio-fuels to Annex 11, but did not agree to adding the blends to List 1. If Finland requires the bio-fuel blends to carry as Annex II chemicals then they will have to prepare a tripartite agreement for the blend.

The products being added to MEPC.2/Circ.18 Annex 11 are as follows:

• tert-Amyl ethyl ether
• renewable naphtha
• renewable aviation fuel

Tripartite agreements

It was agreed that the following products currently listed as tripartite agreements in MEPC.2/Circ.17 will be removed from the list as their expiry date has been reached and no submissions have been made for review to make them permanent:

• CaCl2 'Kill Pill'
• EB-8061
• EB-8246

Further, the following List 3 products will also be removed from the list due to the submission papers related to these products being withdrawn on the basis of a lack of information:

• AMINE DCT
• Epoxy Resin XZ-92742

Consideration of the outcome of the most recent session of GESAMP/EHS


Dr Tim Bowman, Chairman of the Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection's (GESAMP) Working Group on the Evaluation of the Hazards of Harmful Substances Carries by Ships (GESAMP/EHS) could not attend the meeting of ESPH-18. The Secretariat (Ken McDonald) reviewed the report of GESAMP and noted that 9 new products were reviewed at the GESAMP meeting in June 2012 which were added to the EHS list.

It was noted also that there was an ongoing review of 40 products in the EHS list which has resulted in hazard profiles changing for 18 products.

The next GESAMP Meeting has been scheduled for 15-19 April 2013 and the submission deadline is Friday March 8, 2013.

Matters arising from FP 55

As a result of the changes being considered by the Fire Protection Sub-committee (FP) to the Inert Gas Regulations in SOLAS, the group considered consequential amendments to the IBC Code (International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk).

In doing so the group agreed that, in addition to logical amendments to SOLAS paragraph references in the IBC Code, the following additions will be made:

• In section 1.3 Definitions, definitions were added for gas-freeing and purging.
• A new section 8.5 Cargo Tank Purging will be added to the IBC Code and the current section 8.5 with then become section 8.6.  This section will require new ships requiring inert gas for low flash chemicals to purge those tanks of hydrocarbons or other flammable vapours to below 2% by volume after tank washing and before gas-freeing.
• A new section 15.13.5 will be added and the current section 15.13.5 will be modified and numbered 15.13.5.1.  This section applies to new ships carrying low flash cargoes inhibited with oxygen dependent inhibitors and it says that these cargoes shall not be inerted before loading and during the voyage, but shall be inerted during the discharge.
• The group will recommend some minor wording changes for the FP Committee to consider for their recommended new paragraph for SOLAS, 16.3.3.2.  If FP goes with the recommendation then no further additions to Chapter 9 of the IBC Code will be needed.

Review of products requiring oxygen-dependent inhibitors and proposals to amend MSC/Circ.879-MEPC/Circ.348


In reviewing the need to update and amend the advice contained in these circulars, the group agreed that these circulars will be updated at some point in the future.

Consideration of further guidance for the re-issuing of chemical tanker certification

The International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) submitted paper ESPH 18/8 to make possible proposals for handling re-issuance of Certificates of Fitness for chemical tankers when the revised Chapters 17,18,19 take effect on July 1, 2014.

ESPH discussed the proposals by IACS in considerable detail however could not reach agreement on how the re-issuance of certification should be handled.

Finalisation of amendments to the Revised Guidelines and specifications for oil discharge monitoring and control systems for oil tankers (resolution MEPC.108(49))

In finalising the amendments to the Revised Guidelines and Specifications for Oil Discharge Monitoring and Control systems for Oil Tankers (Resolution MEPC.108(49)), ESPH reviewed the changes to the existing Resolution agreeing that the amendments will be recommended to  BLG and MEPC so that the Resolution MEPC.108(49) can be replaced with the new Resolution with the wording and text corrections as agreed.

These amendments are needed to remove the references to Category C and D "oil-like substances" and add references to bio-fuel blends.

The Group noted that ODME manufacturers will need to certify that their equipment will work with the various individual bio-fuel blends.

Review of safety criteria guidelines in chapter 21 of the IBC Code to address inconsistencies in chapters 17 and 18


ESPH reviewed a number of suggested modifications to Chapter 21 and the effects that they would have on the carriage requirements of a number of products in chapter 17 of the IBC Code. The Group agreed to some of the modifications suggested to the criteria in Chapter 21 and agreed that a further review of other criteria in Chapter 21 was necessary at a future meeting.

The Group recognised that significant upgrades or changes to carriage requirements of certain products could have a serious impact on available tonnage which should be avoided. However it stressed that no carriage requirements will change until at least 2018.



Source: INTERTANKO

It has lain like a great white whale in the crystal clear waters off the Italian island of Giglio for nine months, but a new, crucial phase to remove the capsized Costa Concordia cruise ship is about to swing into action.A multinational team of more than 450 specialists, including 60 scuba divers, has almost completed the stabilization of the 950-foot long vessel, anchoring it to the rocky sea shore with four massive cables looped beneath its belly.

Now they are about to start the Herculean task of preparing to raise the cruise ship, which sank on the night of Jan. 13 after its captain, Francesco Schettino, allegedly misjudged a “sail-past” maneuver and rammed it into a rocky outcrop about 150 yards off the island.

A pre-trial hearing in Grosseto, the nearest city on the Italian mainland, is expected to decided whether to send him to trial on charges of manslaughter and abandoning ship in violation of maritime law.

The 4,200 passengers and crew had to scramble for safety in the darkness, clambering into lifeboats and even leaping into the sea. Thirty-two people lost their lives.

The Concordia has been wedged on rocks and semi-submerged just a few yards from the coast of Giglio ever since.

The removal of the cruise liner – essentially a floating hotel and shopping mall – will be the biggest operation of its kind ever attempted and is expected to cost at least $400 million. At 114,500 tons, it is twice as heavy as the Titanic, which capsized and sank after hitting an iceberg in the North Atlantic in 1912. The task of lifting it is so epic that it is expected to take eight months, maybe longer.

It was initially hoped that the Concordia could be refloated and towed away to be dismantled in January. But Capt. Nick Sloane, a South African who is in charge of the operation to refloat the wreck, said there was so much work still to do that June was more likely.

If the coming winter is severe, with rough seas and high winds, the schedule could slip further, affecting Giglio’s lucrative summer tourist season.

“The initial timeline has been blown out of the water,” Captain Sloane said aboard a British-crewed tug boat, which provided an up-close view of the rusted, stricken cruise ship.

'No small feat' The granite rock on which the Concordia rests was proving very hard to drill, said Sloane. His men have started drilling 26 holes in the rock, in which to place massive, 6-foot-wide pillars which will support six platforms covering an area the size of a football field. The platforms will support the ship as it is slowly hauled upright.

The ship will be refloated with the aid of 15 enormous, hollow compartments – known as "sponsons" – which will be bolted onto its port, seaward-facing side.

“The biggest are 32 meters high, which is the height of an 11-story building,” said Sloane. “They weigh 500 tons, and to get them lined up exactly so that we can weld them on is no small feat."

"This is an unprecedented operation. It’s the biggest ship recovery operation ever, by quite some margin.”

Cables will be fixed to the sponsons and then attached to the artificial platform beneath the ship.

The cables will be slowly tightened along the length of the ship in a technique known as “parbuckling,” rolling the ship seaward into an upright position. The sponsons will also be filled with sea water, further helping to drag the liner upright.

When it is upright, another 15 sponsons will then be welded to the starboard, landward side of the ship, balancing the port sponsons.

Finally, the seawater will be pumped out of the compartments, giving the ship buoyancy and enabling it to float free of the underwater platform. (Canadian Business magazine offers a graphic explaining the procedure.)

In addition to the platforms, the bowl-shaped space underneath the ship will be filled in with sacks holding nearly 18,000 tons of cement, which will be removed once the Concordia is towed away.

It will be taken to an as yet unspecified Italian port, where it is likely to be broken up for scrap metal.

“The concept is simple, but there are a few challenges along the way,” said Sloane, with some understatement.

“The forces involved in lifting the ship upright are huge. Internal structural components could fail. If she starts twisting, we have to correct that immediately. If we have a mild winter, that will be great. But it’s unlikely.”

The removal operation is being conducted jointly by American salvage firm Titan and Italian offshore rig company Micoperi, which were commissioned to do the job by Costa Cruises, the Italian owners of the Concordia.

Titan has extensive experience with salvaging stricken container ships around the world, including the recovery of a beached container ship loaded with 5,000 vehicles in the North Pacific and an oil rig that was adrift off Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic, one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world.

“For an operation of this size, there is always a worry that something could go wrong,” said Franco Porcellacchia, vice president of Carnival Corporation, the US company that owns Costa Cruises. “But we have some of the best technicians in the world working on this, so we are confident it will work.”

Environmental recovery The removal of heavy oil and diesel from the ship’s fuel tanks earlier this year assuaged fears of an environmental disaster.

Still, experts are going to unusual lengths to protect marine animals and plant life around the ship, includes sponges and coral.

The huge shadow cast by the Concordia has killed a large swathe of sea grass beneath it, endangering about 200 giant clams, a species commonly known as the “noble pen shell,” which can reach 3 feet in length.

Marine biologists in diving gear have painstakingly transplanted the molluscs to a bay along the coast where the sea grass is still thriving.

Giglio is part of the Tuscan archipelago of islands, a marine conservation area with a large population of whales and dolphins, and the experts have devised an ingenious technique to protect the animals from the noise of the heavy drilling going on around the ship.

When drilling starts, two underwater tubes pump compressed air into the water, creating a “a wall of bubbles.”

“It absorbs much of the noise and reduces the effect on cetaceans,” said Giandomenico Ardizzone, a professor of marine ecology at La Sapienza University in Rome. “We are trying to limit the environmental impact of this disaster as much as we possibly can.”

Source: CSMonitor

In a letter mailed to the Brussels-based Environment attachés of all 27 Member States, environmental groups have denounced a proposal by the European Commission on ship recycling to legalize the export of hazardous end-of-life ships to developing countries.

This practice has been forbidden in Europe since January of 1997. By unilaterally seeking to exempt most ships from the EU Waste Shipment regulation, the Commission would break with the EU law that implements the international treaty known as the Basel Convention and its Amendment which bans hazardous waste exports to the world's poorest countries, says NGO Shipbreaking Platform.

"The proposal is both profoundly immoral and illegal," said Roberto Ferrigno of the NGO Shipbreaking Platform. "And yet it does not appear that the Commission understands the gravity of this action. This proposal will render European governments powerless in preventing exports of asbestos and PCB laden ships from being sent to developing countries and putting vulnerable workers at risk in contravention of our own treaty obligations. We are calling on the EU, which has the capacity to recycle ships safely and cleanly, to respect its laws and create good shipyard jobs at home."

No adequate ship recycling capacity?

The European Environment Council will debate the Commission's proposal on ship recycling on the 25th of October. The Commission has justified their proposal by claiming that the EU and developed countries lack adequate ship recycling capacity and that, in any case, there is no way to prevent ships from simply reflagging their ships to circumvent national laws. Environmental groups assert that the capacity studies of the Commission are flawed and further, that the Commission has failed to look into ship-owner/producer responsibility schemes which would create funds for proper, safe and environmentally friendly recycling operations in Europe - saving both jobs and the environment.

Because the Basel Convention allows no exceptions or reservations to its rules, and that Convention lists ships as covered hazardous wastes, the EU proposal has legal experts shaking their heads. "The Commission Proposal constitutes a unilateral departure from the provisions of the Basel Convention that is not allowed by the Convention," said Prof. Dr. Ludwig Kraemer, noted European Community legal expert. "The adoption of the proposal by the European Parliament and the Council would constitute a breach of the EU obligations under the Basel Convention and would therefore be illegal."

70 percent run ashore on tidal beaches

Each year, approximately 800 ocean ships reach the end of their services and are broken down to recover primarily steel. Yet, only a fraction is handled in a safe, sustainable manner. According to NGO Shipbreaking Platform, about 70 percent of all ships are simply run ashore on tidal beaches in developing countries such as Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, often ignoring the Basel Convention obligations, where unscrupulous companies exploit minimal enforcement of environmental and safety rules to maximize profits.

The European Commission estimates that 40,000 to 1,3 million tonnes of toxic substances onboard vessels (including asbestos, PCBs, and heavy metals) are exported each year to South Asia from the EU alone. In Bangladesh, children under 15 years of age count for 20 percent of the workforce. In 2011, more than 55 workers were reported killed in accidents in shipbreaking operations in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Last Saturday, five workers were killed in a fire that broke on a ship beached in Alang, India.

Source: NGO Shipbreaking Platform

Discussions at the IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 64) this week include the following items of particular interest on ballast water management.As noted previously, INTERTANKO, along with several co-sponsors, submitted a paper on ballast water management for consideration at this meeting of the MEPC. In its paper, INTERTANKO and the co-sponsors outline the four challenges affecting ratification and effective implementation of the BWM Convention as:

1. need for revision of the Guidelines for approval of ballast water management systems (G8) to improve transparency and ensure appropriate robustness of ballast water management systems (BWMS);

2. availability of BWMS and sufficient facilities to install BWMS;

3. survey and certification requirements for ships constructed prior to entry into force of the BWM Convention;

4. sampling and analysis procedures for port state control purposes.

Regarding the problems with the type approval process, MEPC agreed not to open up the type approval guidelines (G8) for revision. However, there was agreement that the issues raised in the INTERTANKO paper needed addressing. As such, an MEPC Resolution would be revised to provide greater transparency and expand on the information that would be supplied with the type approval documentation - specifically this would include more detail on the actual limitations of the BWMS. Furthermore, the ballast water circular providing guidelines to Administrations on the approval process would be amended to include the issues raised in the INTERTANKO submission.

There was agreement with INTERTANKO's concerns related to the availability of facilities to install BWMS, with agreement to develop an Assembly Resolution aimed at smoothing the implementation once the BWM Convention enters into force.

A Circular will be issued to bring the survey and certification challenges identified by the class societies to the attention of flag state and port state authorities to ensure that all are aware of the agreed solution, and that ship operators who comply with this solution are not improperly penalised.

Regarding to INTERTANKO's final point, MEPC has instructed the BLG (Bulk Liquids and Gases) and FSI (Flag State Implementation) Sub-committees that, when finalising the sampling and analysis guidelines for port state control, these should not be any more stringent than the type approval process.

During the consideration of the type approval guidelines and the challenges raised, the incidents relating to BWMS that had already been installed but failed to operate correctly were discussed. As a result of this discussion INTERTANKO and its industry partners have been invited to provide case studies relating to BWMS that have been installed but failed to operate. INTERTANKO will work through its Environmental Committee and ISTEC to gather relevant data to submit to the IMO on these cases.

Source : INTERTANKO

The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) meets for its 64th session from 1 to 5 October 2012, at IMO Headquarters in London.As well as discussing matters relating to the implementation of energy-efficiency, ballast water management and ship-recycling regulations, the MEPC will also consider formally designating the Saba Bank, in the North-eastern Caribbean area of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA).

Work to continue on energy-efficiency measures for ships

The MEPC is expected to continue its work on further developing technical and operational measures relating to energy-efficiency measures for ships, based on a work plan agreed at the last session. This follows the adoption of the new chapter 4 of MARPOL Annex VI, which enters into force on 1 January 2013 and includes new requirements mandating the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI), for new ships, and the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP) for all ships.

This work will include the development of guidelines for determining minimum propulsion power and speed to enable safe manoeuvring in adverse weather conditions and the development of EEDI frameworks for ships not covered by the current EEDI, e.g., ro-ro and cruise passenger ships, and ships with non-conventional propulsion systems, e.g., diesel-electric or turbine propulsion. This work is expected to continue at this session, based on submissions received.  

Technical cooperation for the implementation of mandatory energy-efficiency measures

Regulation 23 of chapter 4 of MARPOL Annex VI on Promotion of technical co-operation and transfer of technology relating to the improvement of energy efficiency of ships requires Administrations, in co-operation with the Organization and other international bodies, to promote and provide, as appropriate, support directly or through IMO to States, especially developing States, that request technical assistance. It also requires the Administration of a Party to MARPOL Annex VI to co-operate actively with other Parties, subject to its national laws, regulations and policies, to promote the development and transfer of technology and exchange of information to States which request technical assistance, particularly developing States.

The MEPC will further consider a draft MEPC resolution on promotion of technical co-operation and transfer of technology relating to the improvement of energy efficiency of ships.  The resolution is intended to provide a framework aimed at promoting and facilitating technology transfer, to support the implementation of the new regulations on energy efficiency for ships.

Market-based measures to address the reduction of GHGs under discussion

The MEPC is expected to continue its consideration of proposed market-based measures (MBMs) to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which would complement the technical and operational measures already adopted.

It is anticipated that the discussions at MEPC will focus on an update of the GHG emissions' estimate for international shipping and the methodology and criteria for a comprehensive impact assessment of the MBM proposals (following earlier, initial impact assessments), with a view to studying in detail the direct and indirect impacts on (consumers and industries in) developing countries of the introduction, and non-introduction, of an MBM for international shipping under the auspices of IMO.  


Availability of fuel oil to meet air pollution requirements to be considered

The MEPC will further consider matters relating to the availability of fuel oil to meet the requirements set out in the MARPOL Annex VI regulation on emissions of sulphur oxides (SOx) from ships.

Fuel oil sulphur content (expressed in terms of % m/m - that is, by weight) is required to be a maximum of 3.50% m/m (outside an Emission Control Area (ECA)), falling to 0.50% m/m on and after 1 January 2020. Depending on the outcome of a review, to be completed by 2018, as to the availability of compliant fuel oil, this requirement could be deferred to 1 January 2025.

The MEPC is expected to consider the start date for this review.   


It should be noted that, within ECAs, fuel oil sulphur content (expressed in terms of % m/m - that is, by weight) must be no more than 1.00% m/m; falling to 0.10% m/m on and after 1 January 2015.  

Ballast water management systems up for approval

The MEPC will consider the reports of the twenty-first, twenty-second and twenty-third meetings of the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environment Protection (GESAMP) Ballast Water Working Group (held during 2012), with a view to granting basic approval to five, and final approval to three, ballast water management systems that make use of active substances.

The MEPC is expected to reiterate the need for those countries that have not yet done so to ratify the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004, to achieve its entry into force at the earliest opportunity. To date, 36 States, with an aggregate merchant shipping tonnage of 29.07 per cent of the world total, have ratified the Convention. The Convention will enter into force twelve months after the date on which not fewer than 30 States, the combined merchant fleets of which constitute not less than 35 per cent of the gross tonnage of the world's merchant shipping, have become Parties to it.

The Committee will also consider a number of proposals related to the practical implementation of the Convention, aimed at harmonizing the type-approval and sampling procedures, and eliminating uncertainties with regard to compliance and preventing the possibility of improperly penalizing ships' crew members.

Specific proposals related to highly specialized ships will also be examined by the MEPC, with a view to developing specific guidance for offshore support vessels and mobile offshore units, in anticipation of the entry into force of the BWM Convention.  

Recycling of ships - guidelines to be considered

The MEPC is expected to consider draft Guidelines for Survey and Certification of Ships under the Hong Kong Convention (Survey and Certification Guidelines) and Guidelines for Inspection of Ships under the Hong Kong Convention (Inspection Guidelines), which have been further developed by the intersessional correspondence group on Ship-Recycling Guidelines.

These guidelines, along with other guidelines already adopted, are intended to assist ship-recycling facilities and shipping companies to commence introducing voluntary improvements to meet the requirements of the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, which was adopted in May 2009. The treaty will enter into force 24 months after ratification by 15 States, representing 40 per cent of world merchant shipping by gross tonnage, and combined maximum annual ship-recycling volume not less than 3 per cent of their combined tonnage. Efforts are being made to encourage Member Governments to ratify the Hong Kong Convention at their earliest convenience.

Saba Bank PSSA designation to be considered

The MEPC will consider formally designating the Saba Bank, in the North-eastern Caribbean area of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA), following approval in principle at the last session.

Associated Protective Measures were approved by the Sub Committee
on Safety of Navigation (NAV), at its meeting in July 2012, namely, the establishment of a new mandatory 'no anchoring' area for all ships and a new 'area to be avoided' (for ships of 300 gross tonnage or over) in the proposed PSSA.   


Amendments to the IBC Code set for adoption

The MEPC will consider, for adoption, draft amendments to chapters 17, 18 and 19 of the International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk (IBC Code), which have been already been approved for adoption by the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 90).   


Sewage treatment plant guideline set for adoption

The MEPC is expected to consider for adoption draft 2012 Guidelines on implementation of effluent standards and performance tests for sewage treatment plants, which are intended to provide guidance on the implementation of new requirements (coming into effect from 1 January 2016) for sewage treatment plants installed on passenger ships operating in MARPOL Annex IV special areas.


Mandatory audit scheme: approval of draft III Code and MARPOL amendments expected

The MEPC is expected to approve the draft IMO Instruments Implementation Code (III Code), which sets the standard for the IMO audit scheme, and to approve draft amendments to MARPOL to make the III Code and auditing mandatory under that treaty.

The aim is to adopt the MARPOL amendments in 2014, once the III Code has been formally adopted by the IMO Assembly, in 2013.   

Recognized organizations code to be approved

The MEPC is expected to approve the draft Code for Recognized Organizations (ROs) and related draft amendments to MARPOL (Annexes I and II) to make it mandatory, for adoption at a future session.

The Code will provide a consolidated text containing criteria against which ROs (which may be authorized by flag States to carry out surveys and issue certificates on their behalf) are assessed and authorized/recognized, and give guidance for subsequent monitoring of ROs by Administrations.

Source: IMO

Prominent environmental campaigner Jonathon Porritt, from the Sustainable Shipping initiative, told last week’s International Chamber  of Shipping conference  that the various targets for CO2 reduction that shipping was currently struggling towards would eventually prove “irrelevant”. He said that the industry would have to be 95% de-carbonised by 2050 as part of global efforts to prevent global warming reaching dangerous levels.

He told the conference: “The age of easy oil is over. Crude prices have shifted fundamentally, with increasing volatility and uncertainty. The view that there could be a production peak or even decline as early as 2020 is entering the mainstream.”

He added that volatile oil prices and insecure supply would present a significant challenge to shipping and the wider economy.

Mr Porritt warned that, as climate change gathered pace, there would be increased pressure for shipping to be included in regional and global regimes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He cautioned too that price and regulatory uncertainty could undermine investment decision making. He said that strong leadership was required to prevent uncertainty leading to inaction.

The real problem facing the planet, according to Mr Porritt is the potential future global warming if we “carry on releasing CO2 into the atmosphere at rates anything like we currently do”.

Source: World Bunkering